Has the 76ers' Markelle Fultz just become the latest in a long line of NBA draft busts?

For years the Philadelphia 76ers have been telling everyone to ‘trust the process’, which is basically marketing speak for institutionalised tanking.

The ‘process’ has netted them 2016 Aussie No.1 and potential superstar Ben Simmons, along with Jahlil Okafor (no.3 2015 draft) and Joel Embiid (No. 3 2014 draft). But more than halfway through the season, 2017 No. 1 Markelle Fultz is shaping up to be the most dreaded thing in the entire NBA - an NBA draft bust.

Neds have the 76ers at long, long odds to become NBA champs this year ($81) - a far cry from the Warriors ($1.50) and the Cavs ($7.50).

Fultz’s teammate Simmons is one of the hottest favourites for the rookie of the year award in recent memory, with Neds offering $1.22, with Utah’s Donovan Mitchell ($4.50) and Boston’s Jayson Tatum ($21) further back in the field.

Coming into the draft Fultz was seen as about as sure of a thing as it gets.

He was an excellent shooter, and seemed level headed without the potential to cause drama or bring a big ego into the locker room.
Fast forward less than a year, and Fultz can’t shoot, is receiving treatment around the clock and is not expected to return until next season.

Philadelphia’s general manager Bryan Colangelo told the press that the team had little idea on Fultz’s return timeline, or whether he would be back this year at all.

When asked about his shooting prowess, the answer wasn’t positive, with Colangelo telling reporters Fultz was only able to score points from “within the paint” - i.e. pretty much under the hoop.
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t’s a far cry from his college shooting performance, where he was shooting just under 50 per cent on all shots and 41.3 per cent from three - both NBA level metrics.

Recent busts include Andrea Bargnani (2006), Greg Oden (2007), and Anthony Bennett (2013), all of whom came into the league with plenty of fanfare but failed to match their inflated expectations.

Most Aussie sports don’t rely on a draft to shift around talent, and even those that do like the AFL don’t come with the wall-to-wall pressure of American sports. Aside from the NBA playoffs and finals however, the NBA draft is about as big as it gets in American basketball.

Teams trade away current talent for a shot at a future top pick, hoping to net someone in the mould of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis.
Never mind of course that plenty of the NBA’s top talent has gone way down in the draft.

Superstars Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant were taken at No.2, Kobe Bryant was taken at No. 13, while Spurs legends Tony Parker (No. 28) and Manu Ginobili (57th) barely registered.

This content brought to you by Neds, odds correct at time of publication.